Oly # 2

Did my second Oly yesterday and it was way beyond my first.  I was mentally stoked for this one.  I didn't really push myself in the first (I wanted to pace myself to assure a finish in the first), but in my second I was going to do 20-30 min better.  I’m going to go lights out.  One problem:  I didn't train as much for this one as I did for the first.  I didn't do a lot of bricks or 2 hour + workouts.  Didn't ride or run the course.  The first one was difficult, but I attributed that to the 55 degree water and no wet suit and the resulting cramps that swim caused me throughout the whole race.

Ok, so I hit the lake.  The water was completely comfortable and was in a wind-sheltered cove.  In spite of swimming twice in the last month, I did well here (shaved 15 minutes from my previous breast stroking Oly).  I got out of the water, transitioned and set out on the bike where I was slapped in the face with two flats (I had lent my pump to a fellow five minutes into the race.  I had to wait 10 minutes for him to saunter by, tossing me the pump), a sinking seat post and a lost handle bar - and some of the worst rolling hills I have ever seen.  The bike, my strongest leg, was my turning into my nightmare- total training in the last month on the bike?  2 rides, 3 spin classes. Total time for 26 miles?  2:05.  I was over 35 minutes slower for this leg than the last Oly.

I rode in on a partially inflated tire, but I was there.  My legs hurt.  My handle bars rattled.    The hills were painful.  There literally was no straight-aways and it hurt.  By this time, the sun is out and hot.  It was 90+ at noon yesterday, but the heat index was over 100.  I was really looking forward to the run.  This is where I had really been working, two long runs a weel, two short ones .  I have probably been doing just shy of 20 miles a week.  Here I was going to perform.  I walked for the first quarter mile of so, started to run, then started walking for about another quarter mile, trying to get my legs to stop cramping.  Finally I get into a jog and the damn course goes hilly.  It is an out and back with about half a mile flat, then you start a 2.5 mile climb to the turnaround, then come back for a 2.5 mile decent.  Hills are tough on the bike.  Running them is just plain bad. Up or down, hills suck.  I had hot and cold chills the entire 6 miles and some cramping, as well as my stomach growling.  ugh.

I bantered with the volunteers, yelled encouragement, was genial and fun, but during that run I had a long conversation about unwarranted confidence and my lack of preparation.  I finished at 3:54.  My only consolation is I wasn't dead last (not that there is anything wrong with that, but I beat 40 people in my last Oly, and that kind of drop in performance would have really hurt.)  I then spent the rest of the day in a state of nauseous vacuum.  I was just put in my place by a triathlon and have no one to blame but myself.  To add further insult to injury, I am now aware that I am in no way able to do the Half IM I was scheduled to do in September.  There is just no way.  I had no idea I had slipped like this!

Well, that was my OLY.  Pictures will follow in the albums.

Thomas

Thomas